Slow And Steady

Klaus

After our last altercation, Lisa and I have spent the last two nights with a wall of pillows between us. She had demanded to move to another room, and I had bluntly refused that request. We were married, and it would raise suspicions in the castle if we were seen occupying different rooms. The first week of marriage was always left for the consummation of marriage, but I hadn't gotten any luck with Lisa. She was dedicated to making me angry, and she didn't fail to do so at every opportunity she got.

She was already awake by the time I got down from the bed, and from the dampness of her hair, I could tell that she had already gotten ready for the morning.

"Any special occasions today?" I asked purely out of curiosity. This was the first time she was getting up earlier than me. And the preparation? She might have gotten a bit accustomed to the place, but that didn't exactly explain why she was getting all dressed up.

"You promised you'd let me see Mark off after you release him, didn't you? Do you want your bride to walk out of the castle looking uncared for?" Lisa returned, her tone full of sarcasm and nonchalance.

"I never said you were seeing him off, I promised to let him go, you insisted on seeing him off, and I never agreed to that." I corrected, and only then did she drop the hair brush in her hand and turn to meet my gaze.

"Why won't you just let me leave this place for once? Am I going to stay holed up here forever?" She asked, her brows arched inwards in frustration.

"I won't keep you holed up here forever, but I won't let you leave the castle just yet, not until you've given me an heir."

I watched as her frustrated expression subtly changed to anger as she glared at me. It was the same every time I mentioned anything concerning her bearing me a child, and she would always argue about it or just ignore me. I had also learnt to ignore her complaints, if she won't listen to me, then there was no reason for me to listen to her.

The silence between us lingered on for minutes, and in those few minutes I could feel Lisa's anger steadily growing. She wanted to keep quiet and ignore everything I had to say, but her emotions had gotten the best of her.

"This is exactly why Krista chose your brother over you! You're a selfish monster who cares only for himself!" She spat, her voice laced with venom.

I clenched my fists, trying to control the rising urge to retaliate. How did she learn about Krista, and who had told her? Those words had cut deep, but before I could respond, she abruptly stood up, her movements swift and filled with pent-up energy. Without warning, her hand collided with my chest, the sound echoing in the room as she delivered sharp smacks, each one fueling the energy for the next blow.

Instinctively, I grabbed her wrists, halting her assault. Our eyes locked in a fierce battle of wills, neither willing to back down. The room felt charged with electricity, the air heavy with unspoken words and raw emotion.

With a sudden surge of primal desire, I pushed her back against the wall, pinning her wrists above her head. Her breath hitched in surprise, but defiance still burned bright in her eyes. Leaning in close, our faces mere inches apart, I could feel the heat radiating between us, and each passing second I spent in that warmth chipped away at my rage.

And then, in a moment of sheer recklessness, I closed the distance between us, capturing her lips in a searing kiss. It was fierce and desperate, a collision of passion and anger. She didn't fight back, her eyes merely widened in shock, and the will to fight me off had suddenly disappeared from her body.

Finally regaining her composure, Lisa pushed me away, and in a split second her soft palm had connected with my face.

"I..I'm sorry—" she stammered as she tucked her hand away behind her back.

"It's fine, couples have misunderstandings from time to time." I pointed out, and while that helped her relax a bit, she wasn't exactly comfortable with us being referred to as a couple. "And about Mark, I won't be sending him home anymore."

Lisa's face brightened momentarily, and immediately dulled with concern and curiosity. "Why?" She asked.

"He's the only person around who you're familiar with. For the moment I'll make him your personal bodyguard. He'll be dismissed the moment you get more used to the place." I explained, and although it was one of the reasons, I didn't quite tell Lisa the entire truth. I was returning to work soon, and wouldn't be around often to watch over her. I wanted her to feel safe and comfortable while I was gone, and she wouldn't feel those things if I assigned a random guard to stick by her side all the time.

Mark was the only person who I was confident would do the work of being her bodyguard exceptionally well. And while I was afraid of the fact that they might become intimate in my absence, I wanted to trust Lisa and believe she'd uphold her promise to me.

Lisa remained speechless for a whole minute while her eyes searched mine frantically. She didn't believe me, and clearly suspected a grand agenda behind my act of kindness. To her suspicions, I chuckled before waving off her inquisitive stare.

"Don't overthink anything, I'm not up to something." I assured, and only then did her raised brows rest neatly above her beautiful eyes. Shyly, she turned towards the sides, and I watched as her cheeks fluttered red in embarrassment.

"Thank you.." Lisa whispered, and I instinctively smiled at those words. We weren't the best, but we were definitely making progress, I was certain of it. The old Lisa would never thank me for anything, even if I had just saved her life. She would have blamed me for being the reason why she had done anything bad. This warm side of her had my heart beating erratically, but I managed to control my emotions. Although I was in a tight situation, I knew rushing matters wouldn't work for me and Lisa. To really get to her, I had to take things slow and steady.